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[MarkMe2525]

Next June could be possible if they really are aiming for 2026, might be planning to get the announcement out around the PS5 Pro announcement.

I’m guessing Series S and X will still have games made for them but they won’t make it so you have to make games for them.

Reasonable assumptions if this turns out to be true and the plan has not changed. I kind of hope it does turn out to be true. I would be grateful if we could shorten the generations lifespan to 6 years, 5 years being even better. I'm not getting any younger and I want to be able to see PS and Xbox 10.

 

[Audiophile]

If they do go AMD all round, launching the next generation of Xbox a year or two early would likely leave them behind a whole RDNA/ZEN generation & node process. Plus, Sony are the market leaders and the gen will probably start when they say it does (likely 2028).

If Sony have a $499-599 Pro and MS have a ~$499 refresh XSX with the same performance as the launch model; PS will be a far better value proposition with vastly superior performance for 2-3yrs. Then if MS release in 2026/2027 they'd have a power lead on a console that barely anyone is inclined to rush their games to. Then when Sony releases a PS6 in 2028 they'd have the power lead again. Power isn't everything of course, but I'd argue such an approach would either be really poor tactics or a sign of an intentional, slow "stealth" exit from the console business, showing their clear intention for PC, Cloud & other devices not as additions but in place of console.

The only 2027 Xbox that makes sense if Sony are dropping PS6 in 2028, would be a crazy curveball like an ARM/NvidiaRTX APU or even an Intelx86/IntelARC APU.

...
I think the best generation approach is 8yrs with a standard launch console and a pro/slim at the halfway mark. If their is a lite console at launch it needs to be 1/2 GPU, 3/4 RAM+Bandwidth & 1/2 Storage with all other specs and featuresets identical (XSS falls way short). 5-6yr spans at this point would mean relatively small leaps in hardware technology, games not really getting to take advantage of the platform, pair this with some degree of diminishing returns and the industry taking much more iterative approaches to various properties already; and these four things will all compound each other resulting in less impressive experiences.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

If they do go AMD all round, launching the next generation of Xbox a year or two early would likely leave them behind a whole RDNA/ZEN generation & node process. Plus, Sony are the market leaders and the gen will probably start when they say it does (likely 2028).

If Sony have a $499-599 Pro and MS have a ~$499 refresh XSX with the same performance as the launch model; PS will be a far better value proposition with vastly superior performance for 2-3yrs. Then if MS release in 2026/2027 they'd have a power lead on a console that barely anyone is inclined to rush their games to. Then when Sony releases a PS6 in 2028 they'd have the power lead again. Power isn't everything of course, but I'd argue such an approach would either be really poor tactics or a sign of an intentional, slow "stealth" exit from the console business, showing their clear intention for PC, Cloud & other devices not as additions but in place of console.

...
I think the best generation approach is 8yrs with a standard launch console and a pro/slim at the halfway mark. If their is a lite console at launch it needs to be 1/2 GPU, 3/4 RAM+Bandwidth & 1/2 Storage with all other specs and featuresets identical (XSS falls way short). 5-6yr spans at this point would mean relatively small leaps in hardware technology, games not really getting to take advantage of the platform, pair this with some degree of diminishing returns and the industry taking much more iterative approaches to various properties already; and these four things will all compound each other resulting in less impressive experiences.

Im thinking whomever releases a pro mid gen refresh won’t move the needle at all. I don’t think PS4 Pro and One X sold even close to gangbusters. The amount thrown around was 10% of sales. I think most gamers (no matter how tempting it is) will either stick with what they got or just wait for next gen around 2027-2028. Only the real core gamers will bother buying a premium refreshed system midway through a generation. If someone is that itching for a new system they’ll probably just find a cheap base model from 2020.

 

[Audiophile]

PS4 Pro was nearly 20% of all PS4's sold and at least 40% of all PS4>Slim/Pro Upgrades.

A Pro retains core gamers who may wish to step outside of the PS ecosystem to PC and may even bring some existing PC players on board who wish to play PS titles either earlier or at all, it provides brand prestige, high quality real world marketing material & potentially better end user experience/customer satisfaction; and given that current consoles are already struggling in some areas to put a pleasing image on a 4K display; it might be ok now, but in 3-4yrs from now, some gamers will start to get fed up with it.

It's also just a very good value proposition for a more technically discerning customer when the gap between a base console and PC is so big: $350-400 for eg. for a base PS5 (by the time a Pro launches) and $1500+ for a PC..... A $500-600 console that performs twice as well as the base console and is a very good facsimile of the PC experience minus many of the teething issues is great value.

Regarding marketing. A small number of users with more disposable income will just pick the premium option regardless. While the main bulk of potential Pro customers will be just as receptive to "Improved Ray Tracing, Better Image Quality, Higher Performance & 2X Storage" as they were to "It [kinda] does 4K now".

If Sony can break even or even sell at a small loss on the box there's really no reason not to do it.

Anywho, soz to prattle on more about Sony in an MS thread, just trying to use it as a stronger example of where a midgen upgrade makes sense. Of course, the "retention of players in relation to PC" part of my argument doesn't really apply to MS as much (though I still think an upgraded version gives a nice middleground for those who want a better experience but can't afford a PC).